"Now that is out of the way, how about you eat a little something for us," Malcolm said, his eyes watching Sky intensely.
"I don't really eat much in the morning. I'm usually just trying to catch some sleep from the night before," Sky said. She shuffled the food on her plate with a fork. “It’s all really delicious, though, Claire. You’re a good cook.”
My heart cracked hearing her try to reassure me, trying to make sure my feelings weren’t hurt. God knew what she had been forced to do at night just to survive through to the morning. The trauma was a done deal. I hoped that from now on, she only had healing ahead of her.
"Well, breakfast is an important meal. I promise most days won't be this elaborate, but I wasn't sure what you liked. The only thing I ask is that you never start the day on an empty stomach."
Sky nodded and bit into a piece of fruit. I smiled at her, content to see her eat.
"Thank you," I said before taking a bite of my eggs.
"You must have had a good mom, Claire," she said, taking me by surprise.
I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I went with the truth. "My mom was great. I was really lucky that way."
"That must have been so nice," Sky said.
I nodded. It was awkward
We ate the rest of our meal in silence, not saying a word until Malcolm finally broke the silence.
"This peace and quiet is freaking me out. One of you has to say something."
"What do you want to talk about?" I asked.
"I don’t know. Your coffee mug? The weather? How nice do you look in your bathrobe?"
Sky burst out laughing, and just like that, the tension between us evaporated into thin air.
The rest of the time spent around the table was relaxed, Sky still didn't talk much, but she at least didn't look afraid. She was making eye contact, smiling, and looked engaged. She took some more small bites of her breakfast.
"I hate to do this," Malcolm said, getting up and putting his coffee cup in the sink, "but I really have to get to work. Claire, Sky, would it be ok to come back later tonight with some dinner for you lovely ladies?"
"You're asking us this time?" I asked. “No more banging down the door?”
"I'm going to do it, whether you say yes, or no, but I thought I'd give off the appearance of being civilized."
“Only if you also clean up, since you’re leaving the mess from breakfast on us,” Sky said. “You ate the most anyway.”
“You’re right, I did,” Malcolm said, scanning the table.
“Whoa, look at you being demanding and stuff,” I said, smiling. I elbowed Skylar gently.
“You’ got it. You two just sit back and relax. I’ll take care of everything.”
“It’s a date then,” I said. I covered my mouth with the back of my hand hoping no one noticed.
Malcolm laughed. “Oh good, maybe I can make you blush again, like you are right now.”
“I’m not blushing,” I argued.
“Yeah you are,” Sky said.
“Traitor,” I whispered to her, nudging her again. She and Malcolm both laughed and I felt like I’d never had such a fun time at breakfast before.
Chapter 5
MALCOLM
The rest of my day went by in a haze; all I could think about was being back at Claire's. I told myself it was because I wanted to check up on Sky to make sure she knew I wasn't going anywhere, beyond a shadow of a doubt. That was true, partly. I felt an immense responsibility toward Skylar and her well-being, and I wanted to see it through. But the other reason I wanted to be there was because of Claire. Breakfast this morning was the first time in ages I’d felt light. From the age of seven, I had been wound up, my back always to the wall and my fists up, ready for a fight, carrying this load of baggage that weighed me down. My past always brought me down in the dumps. I experienced anger and sadness more than any real joy, but this morning with Claire—I’d seen a light at the end of the tunnel. When she and Skylar laughed, the weight of the world no longer felt so heavy on my shoulders.
The truth was I had to claw my way to everything I’d ever had, and other than my brothers at the club, there weren't many people I wanted to be around. I avoided my co-workers, never socialized with clients, and it had been almost ten years since I’d had a serious relationship. Socializing outside of the club tended to make me uneasy, and inside the club, I was just there to ride. I’d lost my trust in humanity at the age of seven and it had never been fully restored. I wasn't sure what the pull toward Claire was, but I knew I wanted to find out. I needed to. I owed it to myself.